First of all, you want a barebottom tank. I know gravel looks pretty but turtle poop can cram itself into the weirdest places!
You could buy a piece of corkwood, cut it to the width of your tank, and jam it between the tank's front and back glass to create a "dock" where the turtle can come out and bask itself. Which means you're also going to need a heat lamp and a UVB lamp (or you can get a two-in-one, they're called Mercury Vapor Lamps, but buy the pet ones specifically because the regular ones have a coating on them that stops UVB). I keep my basking area at ~87 degrees Fahrenheit.
Basking lamps usually aren't enough to warm the water, so you might need a submersible heater, too. Keep the water at 75-77. And for filtering, I'd use a sponge filter. Those babies can suck almost anything up! And cleaning is as easy as rinsing.
In my own personal experience turtles don't seem to need for a tank to cycle, but if anyone knows otherwise please correct me. Many times I've cleaned the sponge filter under tap water or thrown all the tank water out and they've been fine.
As for diet, use one of those pellets for turtles and amphibians. Mine LOVE those! Sometimes as a treat I give them pieces of cooked shrimp and cooked fish and vegetables like romaine lettuce, radish leaves, and cucumbers.
Good luck with your new turtle!
You could buy a piece of corkwood, cut it to the width of your tank, and jam it between the tank's front and back glass to create a "dock" where the turtle can come out and bask itself. Which means you're also going to need a heat lamp and a UVB lamp (or you can get a two-in-one, they're called Mercury Vapor Lamps, but buy the pet ones specifically because the regular ones have a coating on them that stops UVB). I keep my basking area at ~87 degrees Fahrenheit.
Basking lamps usually aren't enough to warm the water, so you might need a submersible heater, too. Keep the water at 75-77. And for filtering, I'd use a sponge filter. Those babies can suck almost anything up! And cleaning is as easy as rinsing.
In my own personal experience turtles don't seem to need for a tank to cycle, but if anyone knows otherwise please correct me. Many times I've cleaned the sponge filter under tap water or thrown all the tank water out and they've been fine.
As for diet, use one of those pellets for turtles and amphibians. Mine LOVE those! Sometimes as a treat I give them pieces of cooked shrimp and cooked fish and vegetables like romaine lettuce, radish leaves, and cucumbers.
Good luck with your new turtle!
